Letters to the Editor

Donations being accepted

Written by John Voket, associate editor
Wednesday, 26 December 2012 19:53

I wanted to reach out the first moment I could to many of you, and journalists around the globe, who reached out to us at The Bee to send thoughts, prayers and asking how you can be of help to our community—especially those immediately impacted by the Dec.14 massacre at Sandy Hook School.

The outpouring of support has been, and continues to be overwhelming. But it has created opportunities for scams and legitimate organizations that are taking pass-through and/or processing expenses before delivering donations being made.

Newtown Savings Bank has assured me through its president and CEO that its survivors fund will be distributing 100 percent of every donation to assure the immediate victims are being cared for—including any expenses related to specialized counselors and responders who need to be brought in and put up in close proximity to Newtown. I will be discussing with them in the near future ideas about how any future surplus from donations can continue to serve victims and especially children affected by this and other similar tragedies.

If any media outlets are inclined, they can drive readers, viewers and listeners to http://www.nsbonline.com for information on donating to this fund. Having friends of my own who lost children, and many more who were immediate to the incident, I can’t begin to articulate the horror this unwanted event has showered on us, but your thoughts and prayers will make a significant and positive difference.

The Newtown Bee...since 1877, vm: 203-509-2246

Gift of involvement is the best

Written by Neil A. Davis, Gothenburg
Friday, 21 December 2012 14:43

Jesus spoke about children in this manner, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” Even people who do not believe that Jesus is the son of God or believe in God for that matter, can recognize that a man of that era with this insight, was remarkable.

In America, Christmas is a national holiday. Many people exchange gifts and celebrate the birth of Jesus with family and friends. The giving of gifts is especially focused on children. Many of these gifts are essentially lumps of injection molded plastic, but still parents enjoy watching the anticipation, excitement and joy that lights up the eyes of their children as they unwrap the desired lump they have been waiting for.

In the wake of recent horrific events, I would like to suggest a gift that in my opinion would be more lasting. Thinking of my own shortcomings as a parent, I think we should strive to give the gift of greater involvement in our children’s lives. Hold them close and love them. We can’t know that the next time we watch as they walk away and see them turn to wave, won’t be the last time.

Special effort keeps kids safe

Written by Don Friesenborg, Gothenburg
Thursday, 20 December 2012 15:14

In the fall of 2000, I called into Dudley Elementary to let them know I was coming to visit a day and have lunch with my second-grade granddaughter—we set a time of 10 a.m.

On that morning, I arrived at the west fence of the playground. They were having recess, and right away two female teachers approached me and politely asked my name and why I was standing outside the fence.

When I told them who I was, they said they were expecting me and I was to go in and get a visitors pass and pin it on my shirt. I asked them if this was standard procedure to ask questions and they said, “Yes.”

I am much bigger than either of them, so I asked a question, “What would you do if I knocked you down and starting to beat you badly?” They replied, “We will fight you anyway we can to protect these kids and keep them safe.”

Sharon and I, like too many grandparents, know the hurt and pain of losing a 5-year-old grandson. In 1996, our grandson died as a result of injuries he got from being struck by a car while riding his bike.

I feel very good about the safety of our students at Dudley Elementary and Gothenburg High School.

Two election strategies

A winning campaign strategy: My opponent straps his dog to the top of his car. In school he bullied a boy who may have been a homosexual. His wife engages in elitist activities like riding horses. He thinks women should be pregnant and kept in binders, or pay for their own birth control prescriptions. He started a business, became very wealthy and put his money in “secret” off-shore accounts. He put people out of work and then their spouses died.

He wanted General Motors to go into bankruptcy without fascist government control. How could he expect to win Ohio without buying off auto unions, who would put those taxpayer dollars into his campaign like they did for me? He thinks the 47% of wage earners who pay no income taxes should take on the burden of helping the other half who aren’t paying their fair share. He doesn’t like my plan of pushing every citizen possible into the food stamp program and getting them permanent disability after their 99 weeks of unemployment run out.

He doesn’t believe we should be shutting down our coal plants so that “Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.” He doesn’t think we should be placing moratoriums on drilling for our own oil and gas (like I do) then buying it from foreign countries with money borrowed from China.

He believes illegal immigrants should have to go through the legal process to come here to work and become citizens. He opposes my theft of $716 billion from Medicare to fund Obamacare. The past four years I have told you “...we as a people will get there.” I never explained where “there” is, but since we discovered things are much “worse than we thought”, I can report it is very far away. However, you can take comfort in the fact that our new slogan is “Forward”. Yes, Forward - that is where we need to go.

A losing campaign strategy: I think Roe vs. Wade is unconstitutional on a federal level. Abortion is a 10th Amendment issue. As governor of Massachusetts, I wanted more roles in my administration filled by women. I was supplied with binders (you know, the books with rings) containing the resumés of prospects. I don’t know why people thought I had women tied up in my closet.

My business took the risk of injecting capital into failing businesses in an attempt to save them. We were only 80% successful. My opponent misrepresented the 20% we couldn’t save. Those who lost jobs would have lost them even sooner, had we done nothing. Somehow they found out about my “secret” bank accounts. I guess they must have read my financial records.

I wanted to create an environment where every American would have the chance to experience the pride and self-satisfaction that comes with knowing at the end of the day, they did their part as a productive member of our society. What the heck was I thinking?

Food…something that unites us

Written by Jo Anderson
Thursday, 15 November 2012 14:38

Nov. 16-22 is not just the week before that great eating holiday known as Thanksgiving, but it is National Farm-City Week when we celebrate the important partnership between farm and urban residents in providing the nation with a bounty of food, fiber, fuel and a growing list of other products.

It’s a time for friendly but serious conversation between farmers and urban folks. Most people are now more than three generations removed from the farm—grandpa and grandma no longer live on the farm and host Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

Urbanites no longer get first hand experience playing with a bucket calf or “walking beans.” Urban folks hear in the media that farmers are “making” them overweight and that their meat supply comes from “factory farms.” If the recent political election taught us anything, it should have made us recognize that few things are “as they seem.”

Our children’s elementary teacher used to say, “I won’t believe everything I hear about you if you don’t believe everything you hear about me.” It is only when we get to know each other that we understand what truly happens on the job, in the office, on the farms.

Food is the one thing that unites us—we all need it and most of us love it. Everyone eats to live and some of us live to eat. Modern technology has come to farming just as it has come to medical, construction, media and all other facets of life. Grandpa and grandma’s family farm is still there and it has become even bigger and better—and even more fun to visit.

National Farm City Week is a good time to start the conversation about why we as Americans—due to modern technology, combined with old fashioned family work ethics, love of the land, and ethical humane animal care, have the most abundant, cleanest, safest, most efficient and yes, percentage wise, the cheapest food in the world.

We eat well because of the American farmer. Eating well gives us the opportunity to excel in our careers, spices up our social life and stabilizes our family.

However, farmers do not work alone to provide the good life. We owe our convenient packaging and efficient delivery system to urban dwellers. We thank our grocers, restaurant owners, gas station managers, and our clothing manufactures for delivering our food, fuel and fiber. We appreciate our bankers and insurance people for protecting all of us with sound planning.

One out of three people in Nebraska work in some way in the food and fiber industry. You do not have to live on a farm to be involved in agriculture. If you eat or wear clothing—you are involved with farming.

We are all united in this effort to feed, fuel, and cloth the world. Let us celebrate this week and every week those blessings.

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